notes



mtmtrh gisten stent @fitta IMPROVEMENT IN TIN-WARE SEAMING-MACHINE.

dlgs stimule manu tu in tigen @Patat tant mit mating pui .ut tige 5min.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, H IJ. Novus, of Ashtabula, in the county ofAshtabula, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and improvedSingle-Scanning Machine for making an improved seamen the bottoms oftinware articles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a fulland exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of my said machine,

Figure 2 an end elevation, and

Figure 3 a plan view of the same.

Figures 4, 5, and 6, detailed portions, represented on an enlargedscale.

Figures 7 and 8, diagrams illustrating the working principle of saiddetails; and

Figures 9 and 1G, partial forms of the body and bottom of a fruit-canbefore and after seaming.

The letters of reference marked thereon refer to similar parts in allthe figures.

This invention has for its object an improved mode of closing' the seamsof the bottoms of tin-ware articles, and is particularly applicable tofruit-cans, and other avare about which some degree of certainty isnecessary to know that the seam is perfectly air-tight. The condition ofthe seam made by this machine is such that the faces of the turned edgesofthe bottom and body-are in perfect contact all around, so much so thatthe article is, under ordinary circumstances, water and oil-proofwithout soldering. In any case, whether the article is designed to bewater, oil, or air-proof, there is great saving of solder, from the factthat the joining is so perfect that there are no holes left in the seamfor it to run through in the operation of soldering; and from thepeculiar mode of turning the seam, as will be explained, the sharp angleor corner of the bottom is left unbroken in every instance. This defectis very liable to occur in seaming with the machines now in use, andtherefore requiring an additional application of solder.

The closing of the seam is effected expeditiously, and, with ordinaryattention in soldering, will leave no doubt as `to its being air-tight.In other methods of closing the seam, the workman has to depend onchance for this feature, or else bestow an extra amount of attention onhis work, which, in the rapid handling of hundreds of the same article,(as fruit and preservecans,) is apt to prove irksome and createnegligence.

My improved mode of closing thezseam is due mainly to the particularconstruction of the rotating pressurehead, hereinafter described, and.to its peculiar action on the turned edge of the bottom, so that aperfect contact ofthe turned edges of the body and bottom ofthe ware isthereby secured, and all danger of cracking the plate at the sharp angleof the bottom is entirely avoided.

The general form and construction of the whole machine is given in figs.I, 2, and 3, a detailed description of which is not deemed necessary.Those parts only will be described that are essential to theaccomplishment of the improvement under consideration. i

A, fig. 5, is a rotating scanning-head, having its periphery constructedwith faces a and the former rounding, and the latter flat, the face bpresenting an acute angle to a portion of the face a, substantially asshown in the figure. The said rotating seaming-head is fixed to a shortrevolving shaft, C, iig. 1, which has its bearing in a slotted box,C,f1g. 3. B, g. 4, is a rotating pressure-head. The edges of this areprovided with faces c and d, both faces being dat, and stand to eachother at an obtuse angle, as seen, the point of the angle being slightlyrounded off. Said head is placedon the forward end of the vibrating armD, ig. I, so as to rotate in an inclined direction, as shown. E, iig. G,is an adjustable rotary-gauge pressure-head, placed on a fixed shaft,E', on the support E. Said head is constructed substantially as shown inthe iig. 6. The faces f and g are formed as therein delineated, j' beingflat, and g convex or rounding.- Pressure is given to it by means of thespring F.

The relative position of the said-described rotating heads is readilyseen in iigsfl, A2, and 3; and I have been thus minute in thcdescription and delineation of the forms of the faces on the peripheriesof the di ferent rotating hea-ds, as they are absolutelynecessary inperfecting the seam on my said improved plan. I will now explain themanner of operating my said machine.

In the first place, the edges of the bottom and body'of the article areturned in the usual manner, the

former at a rightangle, and the latter flaring or obtuse, as shown intig. t). The bottom 1s then sprung on on the body, and' placed on thevibrating arm D, iig. 1, of the machine, in the position seen by thedotted lines in iig. 2, and resting on the seeming-head A. The arm D isthen depressed by applying the foot to the tread attached t0 the rod J,depending from the bent or return portion thereof, shown in the dottedlines ot' iig. 1. This brings the inclined pnessure-lierad in contactwith the inside ofthe article to be seemed. Itwill be observed that indepressing the said head, itspoint e, iig. 7, (which is whereithepressure eommences,) strikes the turned edge of the bottom atj away-fromthe sharp cornet` k, as seen in the tig. 7. Motion is then given, byturning the hand-crank, to the seaminghead A, which iscommunieatedtovthe two others, B and E, and the turned edges beforespoken of pressed together in the direction from j tol, g.10. After asuieient number of turns the article is seamed, and it is then removedfrom the machine.

As the pressure-head B, under-this peculiar arrangement, does'not touchthe point of the angle spoken of, it will be seen that the seam cantherefore be subjected to any number of revolutions, so that the facesof the said turned edges can, be brought inthe closest possible contactwithout injury to the o'orner of the seam. With the old method ofseeming, every tinsmith knows he cannot go beyondone, or Yone anda halfrevolution without liability of cracking the plate at the said. corner.The adjustable-gauge pressure-head E is design-'ed to hold the articleto be seamed in such a way that` it will, whilst being rotated, tend tokeep it, by means of the spring F, inclined in the direction of thedotted lines h z', Eg. 8, for the.purposeiof crowding or pressing thebottom tight against the body just preceding the act of-elosing theseam.` The support E, tig. 2, Y

which sustains the said head E, cnn be moved in or out by loosening thebolt G, so as to adjust the said head E to the diameter ofthe article tobe seemed. The machine .is compact and portable, the bodyr H beingsupported on short feet I I I I,.by which it can `be secured to thework-bench.

I am aware that rotating heads or burrs, having various configurationsonjtheir peripheries, are in 'use in machines employed by tin-smiths fora variety of purposes, some of which are used forvseaming the bottoms ofcans; pails, pans, and other tinswnre' articles. Such rotating heads orburrs, in themselves, therefore, I do not lay-claim to, nor t'o the seamor joint made or produced by any of4 them. My invention is confined tothe new and improved faces given to the peripheries of rotating heads,for the purpose of producing a new and improved seam possessing thepeculiar features herein set forth.

What I claim to have secured to me by Letters Patent is- 1. Theadjustable rotating-gauge pressure-head E withA the spring F and-supportE, constructed and operating substantially as specified. i

2. The inclined rotating pressure-head B, when constructed substantiallyas shown, and operating on the seam of the ware in the manner stated;

3. The rotating seaming-head A, and slotted .bearing C', constructed andoperating as described, in combination with the said pressure-head B,and adjustable-gauge pressure-head E, as and for the purpose specified.

H. J. NOYES.

Witnesses:

,.. F. SINGLE,

FRANKLIN Rooms.

